Texas A&M on Serious Upset Alert at Halftime vs. South Carolina

On a windy day in Aggieland, a battle for one of the most glanced-over trophies in all of college football is officially underway.

The No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies are in the midst of a historical season, and are just three wins away from completing a perfect regular season for the first time in over 30 years. Standing in the way is a team that absolutely gashed the Fightin’ Farmers last season and sparked the team’s downfall.

At halftime of the Battle for the Bonham Trophy, the South Carolina Gamecocks have the No. 3 team in the nation on the ropes, 30-3.

Texas A&M in Danger of Massive Upset

South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Lanorris Sellers (16) passes against the Oklahoma Sooners in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Last season, South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers was Texas A&M’s kryptonite. At Williams-Brice Stadium, Sellers threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 106 yards and a touchdown. Through the first half, Sellers put on a show. At the halfway-point, he recorded 183 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, an interception and 32 yards on the ground. As a team, the Gamecocks have posted 94 rushing yards, dominating the Aggies’ defense.

On the other side, the Texas A&M offense has been plagued with miscues. 2 percent of quarterback Marcel Reed’s passes have been dropped. The Heisman Trophy candidate has been forcing passes and has had multiple juggled by defenders and dropped, narrowly avoiding interceptions.

Reed was sacked multiple times, with one being a strip sack that was returned for a South Carolina touchdown. Late in the first half, Reed’s luck ran out as he threw back-to-back interceptions. The Aggies also could not get anything on the ground, totaling -9 yards going into the half.

South Carolina has the worst run defense in the SEC, but the Aggies are making the Gamecocks look like world-beaters. At the break, the Aggies have averaged -0.8 yards per carry.

The Aggies’ defense has been the star of the show for the Aggies in 2025, especially in third down situations. So far this season, opponents have converted on just 21.8 percent of opportunities on the money down. The Gamecocks have been able to make their money on the Aggies’ bread-and-butter, scoring a 50-yard touchdown pass on third-and-long, and on converted on 50 percent of their attempts.

Luckily for the Aggies, they have been a second-half team all season. Against LSU and Missouri, it took the Aggies until the third quarter to get it together and look like a true No. 3 team. If coach Mike Elko is serious about eradicating Battered-Aggie Syndrome, he will need to deliver one fiery halftime speech to rally his troops to overcome the daunting deficit.